JDM / Japanese VIP Styling: My Prius III Build

HAPPY MONDAY PRIUSCHAT FOLKS !!!



With the SEMA Show (SEMA Show) just around the corner, it's time to get some New Modifications for the HBII Ride ready for display for the SEMA IGNITED portion of the Show (SEMA Ignited) !!!



From Cusco USA Inc. is the :

CUSCO Type-OS Strut Tower Bar
Part Number : 951 540 ALHD



Many Thanks to the Great Folks at CUSCO USA Inc. for their Sponsorship for the HBII Build at the SEMA SHOW !!!

For a Complete DIY from CUSCO USA Inc., please visit :

CUSCO Installation Manual for 951 540 ALHD Type-OS Strut Tower Bar

Here are just some of the pictures I taken !!!

Visited the CUSCO USA Inc., Headquarters in Huntington Beach, Southern California !!!



After the Great Visit with Kenji-san and Yuki-san, delivery of the CUSCO Strut Tower Bar was taken !!!

Unwrapping ...






Blue Protective Film



Installation Instructions (In Japanese) and Hardware

For the Installation Instructions in English Please Visit :

CUSCO Installation Manual for 951 540 ALHD Type-OS Strut Tower Bar




New CUSCO Vinyl !!!



Blue Protective Film.
To be removed as a Final Step.



Removal of the Upper Cover






Removal of the Windshield Wiper Motor (Winshield Wipers have already been removed).




Cowl Removed



Strut Tower Bolt locations and removed from Drivers Side




CUSCO Strut Tower Bar Ends. Bolts Loosened and Removed to provide Ease of Installation.









New CUSCO Spacers and Bolts
(Note Flat Side and Rounded Side, Flat Side Down during Installation)




Installation of the Brackets ...

Spacers, Bracket, Strut Tower Bolts ...






**The Strut Tower Bolts were not tightened completely at this point as installation of the actual Strut Tower Bar was next.**




**Once the Strut Tower Bar Bolts were tightened, I then tightened the Strut Tower Bolts**



Removal of the Blue Protective Film



And .. Voila !!!







The Final Touch !!!




Overall I would say I am Very Pleased with the CUSCO Strut Tower Bar Installation and Product.

This product does not obstruct the Fuse Box located on the Driver Side Engine Compartment so you can be rest assured access into the Fuse Box will be easily accessible for maintenance and for the emergency purpose of Jump Starting the vehicle !!!

For All of your CUSCO Products and Questions feel free to contact them at :

CUSCO USA INC.

Stay Tuned for more Modifications Coming Soon before the SEMA / SEMA Ignited Show on November 3rd-6th, 2015 !!!

Many Thanks Again to the Great Folks at CUSCO USA Inc. for their Sponsorship for the HBII Build at the SEMA SHOW !!!

We'll See Ya There !!!



Rodney

 

HEY THERE PRIUSCHAT FOLKS !!!



ROAD TO SEMA 2015 Continues !!!

The Latest Modification to the HBII Ride has Arrived !!!


From Spyder Auto comes the All New LED Tail Lights for the 3rd Generation Prius !!!



These are available in the Black Housing, Red Smoke, and Smoke Versions !!!

Many Thanks to Spyder Auto (www.SpyderAuto.com) for their Sponsorship of the Smoke Version Tail Lights for the 2015 SEMA Show (www.SEMAshow.com) !!!



"Spyder Auto has always pride themselves in great products. All of our Altezza tail lights and LED tail lights are designed to bring style and elegance to anyone's ride. With that said it wouldn't be strange for us to go one step further and start using PHILIPS LUMILEDS or Osram Sylvania LED strips and bulbs on our LED tail lights."

Here are my pictures taken after the Simple Installation !!!

Previously I had the Spec-D Tuning / K2 Motor Tail Lights in Red/Clear (Pictured on the Right) and now compared to the Spyder Auto Smoke Tail Lights (Pictured on the Left).

As you can see the designs are quite different !!!




The All New Spyder Auto Tail Light comes equipped with the Anti-Hyper Flash Module



Comparison of the two Tail Lights ...




The Horizontal Lighting Pattern in the Spyder Auto Tail Light compared with the Vertical Lighting Pattern in the Spec-D Tuning / K2 Motor Tail Light at Night ...





The Final Transformation during the Day !!!










At Night !!!









The Smoke Lens allows enough brightness and transparency with the Parking, Flashing, and Braking Light features. For Reverse you have two options after purchase : Install either a traditional bulb or even and LED bulb !!!

Parking Lamp ...



Parking and Signal ...



Parking and Brake ...



Parking, Brake, and Reverse ...



Parking, Brake, and Reverse ... Direct Rear View ...



Overall, I am very excited and satisfied for these All New Spyder Auto Tail Lights !!!



The Horizontal Pattern really creates a bolder look to the Prius coupled with the Smoke Lens.

Again, many thanks to the Great Folks from Spyder Auto for their Sponsorship of the HBII Ride for the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 3rd-6th, 2015.

Please Visit them at the SEMA Show - Central Hall - Booth #20635 !!!

We'll See You There !!!



Rodney

 

HAPPY FRIDAY PRIUSCHAT FOLKS !!!



Crunch Time to the 2015 SEMA Show is on !!!

The latest project is :

Automotive Display Stand

Created from a great friend of mine, Craig, here in Southern California !!!



The Automotive Display Stand is a great addition to any vehicle where you would like to inform folks about your automotive build !!! These are a great accent to your vehicle at any event where you would like to share your story !!!

3 Major Components : Base, Stand, and Photo Frame



Base - Pronged to assist with placement and security underneath the tire



Stand - Rigid Extruded Aluminum Frame and Structurally Reinforced



Lightweight Aluminum Frame and Glass Face



Frame (Back Side) the Angle is Adjustable



Hardware Included

Hex Bolts and Hex / Allen Key



Display Pictures

Great Visibility to Wheel / Center Cap



Clearance between the Automotive Display Stand and Vehicle can be set by you




Secured Base underneath the Tire



Easy Access to Door Entry



Nice Wide 12" x 18" Frame for your Story



And We're Ready for the 2015 SEMA Show !!!




Here are some of the Specifications for this *Standard Frame* Pictured Above :

Components :
- 3 Major : Base, Stand, and Photo Frame

Dimensions :
- Base - 6" x 12" x 1/4"
- Stand - 42" x 1"
- Photo Frame - 12" x 18" this accommodates an 11" x 17" Picture Inside

Material :
- Base - Aluminum
- Stand - Extruded Aluminum
- Photo Frame - Aluminum Frame with Glass Face

Color : Silver

Weight : <7 pounds

Production to Delivery Time : 4 Weeks

Shipping : Local Southern California Pickup preferred, all other shipping options please contact Craig.

Pricing : $200 !!!
(Compared to companies online, they are selling at $300+ !!!)

Additional Options / Custom Orders : Please contact Craig.

Contact Craig at : [email protected]

Overall I am very pleased and satisfied with the Automotive Display Stand from Craig !!!

See you at The 2015 SEMA Show !!!



Rodney

 

Good Evening HelloHybrid !!!



I have added the pictures per your request to the original post !!!

I had to find someone to do the controls while I took the pictures outside, thank you for your patience.

I have included altogether the Parking / Brake and Parking / Brake / Reverse !!!

Hope this helps !!!



Rodney

 

HAPPY THURSDAY EVERYONE !!!



For the Upcoming 21st Anniversary of the ToyotaFest Celebration in Southern California on May 7, 2016 the latest modification to the HB Prius has arrived !!!

BEAT SONIC BLAID ANTENNA



Previously I installed the Beat Sonic Shark Fin Antenna
Available in the PriusChat Shop :
Beat-Sonic Shark Fin Antenna for 2010-2015 Toyota Prius - PriusChat Shop

And so I wanted to try something different !!!

Package photos :








Included Items :

The Blaid Antenna



Included Hardware :



The Installation :

Using the included Hex Wrench, loosen the tightening bolt within the Blaid Antenna



Remove the existing Toyota Antenna Stalk



Screw in the included Blaid Adapter into the Toyota Antenna Base




Hand Tighten the Blaid Antenna into the Blaid Adapter



Using the included Hex Wrench again, tignten the tightening bolt within the Blaid Antenna



And Voila !!!










Since the installation I have experience no loss of AM/FM, Satellite, or Navigation reception. This is definitely a product worth purchasing !!!

These will be available in the PriusChat Shop soon and will be available in a variety of factory matched painted finishes !!!

Please Support the PriusChat Shop !!!

See you All at ToyotaFest 2016 !!!





Rodney

 

Hello Mrbigh !!!

There are various other styles of Beat-Sonic Shark Fin Antennas to choose from in the PriusChat Shop !!!

Always great to have a selection !!!



Rodney

 

HEY THERE PRIUSCHAT FOLKS !!!



The Next Modifcation for the Upcoming 2016 All ToyotaFest in Long Beach, California (05-07-16) is :

Clazzio Diamond Quilted Seats : All White with Gray Stitching and Gray Piping !!!
(Clazzios are Available for Order Now in the PriusChat Shop at www.shop.priuschat.com !!!)



Previously, I had the Classic Leather Design in the Custom 2 Tone : Black Outer Body, White Insert, and White Stitching :








After 3 Years, it was time to own a set of the Clazzio Diamond Quilted Designed Seats !!!

Expedited Arrival in Time for ToyotaFest 2016 !!!




Prior to Installation I installed the Clazzio Seat Heaters Set :

These include 4 Heating Pads (2 for the Driver and 2 for the Passenger).
The Driver and Passenger each have independent (High/Low) heat settings.
These can be directly plugged into the 12v Socket, I will be customizing the wiring to be utilized with an Toyota Factory set of switches, coming soon !!!







Installation :
Each of the Pads can be adjusted to suit your preferred location.




To avoid the power wires catching on anything underneath the seat, I recommend doing an organized installation.




The included switch (I will not be using this switch)




After the Seat Heaters were installed for both the Driver and Passenger, I installed the seats per the included instructions with the kit !!!

And ... VOILA !!!













Overall I am very satisfied with my Newest Set of Clazzio Seats !!! I wanted a brighter interior and something to match the exterior of the vehicle more so this time around !!!

*** Please Note : For Daily Driven vehicles I do not suggest ordering the White Material as this requires more than normal care to maintain !!! ***

There are many styles and colors to choose from folks, you'll find something suitable for your own unique style !!!

For your own Custom Set of Clazzios, please order from the PriusChat Shop !!!
(shop.priuschat.com)

2016 All ToyotaFest here we come !!!
(For more details visit : www.Toyotaclub.org)

Hope to you see you all at ToyotaFest !!!



Rodney